In the afternoon we board a catamaran and take a boat trip, a wonderfully indulgent way to spend an afternoon, lazing on the nets with the sun on our faces and the sea breeze in our hair. The boat promises three hours of escapism, sunbathing, sea-swimming and searching for glimpses of whales and dolphins.
I feel a warning is needed here, because although these trips are advertised as whale watching tours, rarely is more than a distant fin of a dolphin spotted, and hardly ever a whale. As long as you know that though, you don't feel cheated and it is a wonderful way to while away an afternoon. This time however, we were lucky. Two hours into the trip and not a fin to be seen, we were headed towards Cabo Girao where the boats stop and allow passengers to swim for a while. Suddenly, a shout from the back and the catamaran turned around, racing back out to sea. With eager eyes we searched the open sea in front of us for a hint of wildlife, and were soon rewarded by the sight of a small pod of dolphins, just four or five, leaping over the waves next to the boat. The captain killed the engine and we floated, and what happened next was magical as one of the dolphins deserted the pod deciding to interact with us instead. For a full 15 minutes she swam with us, between the twin hulls, diving and leaping, swimming alongside one of the hulls, rubbing her back on it and even turning to swim upside down rubbing her tummy on it. It was the closest I have ever been to a dolphin; she was large at about 8ft long, and obviously highly intelligent. Over and over she performed this trick, seeming to enjoy our delight, until with a splash of her tail, she swam away to rejoin her family. It was a glorious and special few moments and an event I will remember for ever.
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